The Edison Veterans of Foreign
Wars Post 3117 again welcomes you to
the March meeting for your Photo
Contest.
We hope you will
have an enjoyable experience while you
are here. We have ample
parking in the rear of the building.
The food this year
is again sponsored by
the VFW and the Nam Knights Motorcycle
Club. The VFW is made up of
United
States Armed Forces Veterans who have
served during time of War overseas in
the
country of conflict.
The Nam Knights
members are Armed Forces Veterans and
Active, Police active and retired and
Patriots.

Food that will be offered will be
available for purchase upon arrival
and served during your meeting's lunch
break:

PICTURES
FROM THE JUNE 25TH 2016, MEETING
CELEBRATING 26 YEARS SINCE NJLHS FIRST
VISITED A LIGHTHOUSE AS AN ORGANIZATION
BY VISITING ABSECON LIGHTHOUSE. READ
INFORMATION BELOW
ABOUT THE LIGHTHOUSE

A special THANK YOU to
Mike McGowan for taking the pictures

Absecon
Lighthouse Facts

Compiled by Elinor A. Veit

Directions to
Absecon Lighthouse: Once in Atlantic City,
turn north on either Atlantic Ave. or Pacific Ave.
From Pacific Ave.,
turn left onto Rhode Island Ave. and park in front
of the lighthouse, or turn left on Vermont Ave. and
use parking lot on lighthouse property.
From Atlantic Ave., turn right onto either Rhode
Island Ave. or Vermont Ave.

Congress
approved the building of Absecon Lighthouse:
August 1854.

Land for the lighthouse was
transferred to the federal government by the Camden
and Atlantic Land Company on December 5, 1854 for
the sum of $520.

The engineer was Lt. George
Gordon Meade (of the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War
fame). Construction was started by Major Hartman
Bache,
continued by Lt. George Meade and completed by Lt.
Col. William Raynolds.

Absecon Lighthouse was first
lighted: January 15, 1857

Characteristic: Fixed white light
of the first order

Lens: Made by L. Sautter of
Paris, France in 1854 especially for Absecon
Lighthouse

Height from ground to top of
ventilator: 171”

Steps to watch room: 228, 12 more
to lantern room for a total of 240 steps

Focal plane: 167”

Range: 19.5 nautical miles or 20
standard miles

Diameter: at base- 26” 4’ – at
top: 12”

Inside diameter: 10” from ground
to watch room

Bricks used for original
construction: 598,634

Decommissioned July 11, 1933

Daymark (The
outside color of the tower changed many times):

1857: Natural brick

1871: White, red, white

1897: Orange, black, orange

Early 1900’s: Yellow, black, yellow (1902 or
earlier)

(Decommissioned on July 11, 1933)

1948: White, blue, white (with a blue lantern
room) Owned by the city of Atlantic

City. These were the city’s colors.

Early 1970’s:White, red, white (for second
time) now owned by state of NJ.

1998: Yellow, black, yellow (These were the
colors that it wore for the longest

period of time. Also the colors it was
painted during the period

of interpretations selected for historic
reasons (From the time the lantern

was electrified [1925] to the time it was
decommissioned [1933].

Placed on New
Jersey Register of Historic Places: (August 13 or
September 11, 1970)

Placed on
National Register of Historic Places: January 25,
1971

Principal
Keepers of Absecon Lighthouse:

Daniel L. Scull – 1857

William Bartlett - 1861

John F. Nixon – 1865

Abraham G. Wolf – 1873

Thomas Bills – 1896

Knud Hanson 1914

In addition to the principal
keeper, there were two assistant keepers.

At least 26 men and one woman
held the title of Keeper of Absecon Lighthouse
during its years as an active aide to navigation.

During Absecon
Lighthouse’s 76 years of service at least fourteen
children were born there and at least seven
people, including one infant, died there.

1988: The
Inlet Public/Private Association (IPPA) was formed
to advocate for the redevelopment of the Inlet
section of Atlantic City.
It immediately adopted the lighthouse as its logo.

1994 - 1995: The IPPA adopted
Absecon Lighthouse for restoration purposes and had
a Historic Structure Report done with a $50,000
grant from the city of Atlantic City. Architectural
Firm of Watson & Henry prepared the HSR.

1997: Restoration of tower and
reconstruction of keeper’s house were started.

1998: On July 6th, the
nearly completed keeper’s residence was lost in a
fire. The tower was not harmed.

1999: The tower was opened to
visitors in April. The lantern was relit on a daily
basis.

2000: Rebuilding of the keeper’s
residence was once more resumed.

2001: The newly reconstructed
keeper’s house was opened to the public in October.